Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid has had himself a terrific season on the floor averaging 29.9 points and 11.5 rebounds as he has taken on a different level of dominance at this stage of his career. On top of that, Philadelphia is sitting atop the Eastern Conference so he will is the MVP frontrunner at the moment.
Embiid continues to be one of the best centers in the game and there seems to be a difference in his attitude this season. He has taken much better care of his body as he understands how important he is for their chances at winning a title and he has been great on both ends of the floor. He is not just performing at a great level on the offensive end, he is also making a huge impact on the defensive end.
Teammate Tobias Harris, who was an All-Star snub in 2021, has been impressed with the big fella all season. He joined former teammate JJ Redick on “The Old Man and the Three” to discuss Embiid’s MVP candidacy:
100%. What he’s done on a nightly basis, when I say that, you can literally see fear from other team’s 5 men, I mean it, and I just think when you look at somebody that’s doing what he’s doing on that dominant of a level, and being a 5 man, that’s even more impressive to me. Seeing a 5 man go out there and do that. Dictate a game, dominate a game for where he plays, it’s impressive. I think the biggest thing is, even when we have him out, what we miss the most is the fact, defensively, what he does out there. Ben (Simmons) is a great defender and I think both Ben and Joel should be considered, like, 1-A/1-B for Defensive Player of the Year. I say that because I see Jo out there defending and I see guards go downhill and I could see them look to kick the ball out because they know he’s there. Joel, he’s for sure playing at an MVP level this year and I think he’s doing it in a way where, last year, I did feel like he was in a mood also. This year, we’re winning he has this work ethic, this desire, and he’s just motivated. Things are pushing him in a different way that I haven’t seen since since I’ve been here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH7Ejbql6bM&t=340s
Obviously, Harris is going to make a case for his teammate to win the award, but it is hard to argue. The big fella has been on another level all season and he has the Sixers in the position they want to be in order to chase a title.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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